The Perfect Partner
by KatieCharlotte
Summary: moved from my old profile; Danger Mouse faces the prospect of receiving a new partner, but when the agent is unable to face inevitable changes, he may be sealing his own fate. rated T because at least two chapters are pretty dark.
1. The Same, Different Morning

**Chapter One**

The Same, Different Morning

It seemed it was going to be one of those days for Danger Mouse that morning, there was just nothing dangerous happening; no villains were trying to take over the world, no Penfolds had managed to set the kitchen on fire and there was nothing DM would consider as good news in the morning paper. _Yes, a 'fine' start to the day,_ thought DM as he continued to read the article on Big Brother, wondering about the state of society and whether Penfold could be bothered to stop snoring, wake up and make his beloved chief a cup of tea. _Wishful thinking_, laughed the hero to himself as his assistant's snores continued to sound along the hallway. Sighing, Danger Mouse reached over to the coffee table, picked up his beloved tufts of cotton wool and stuffed them into his ears as he settled back down on his sofa.

"My dear friends," he said to them as he opened the paper again, "I believe I'll be requiring your assistance until **mine** wakes up!"

***

Far across the city however, the morning of another white mouse wasn't looking quite as dull… then again, it wasn't looking quite as safe either. Angel Mouse, a secret agent for Colonel K, had spent the last forty five minutes hiding under drainage pipes, running from killer rats and bleeding to death from a bullet wound in her side. Her mission had been simple enough; spy on an illegal rodent clubhouse and learn more about the leader's plans involving several bank robberies that were due to take place in the next week. But somehow, Angel had been 'ratted' out and was now fearing for her life as each rodent in the entire building searched for her. Sitting between two water pipes in an old storage room, Angel tried desperately to calm herself down, racking her brain for some kind of plan; holding back a sharp intake of breath as she heard the door swing open from the other side of the room.

The agent quickly rooted around, slipping as gently as possible beneath the metal piping, trying to avoid causing herself anymore pain; the wound was throbbing steadily and Angel knew she had to get out soon before she became too weak. Now lying beneath one of the dripping pipes, she pushed back her sleeve to reveal a small watch; the voices were coming closer, talking would give Angel's position away but it was the one chance she had at being rescued.

Steadily, she raised the watch to her mouth, her other hand firmly pressed on a gun strapped to her jean leg prepared for anything; she pressed a small, circular button on the side of her gadget and a small radar emerged, spiralling and 'bleeping' every now and again. Finally, in a hushed voice, Angel closed her eyes and as she spoke, hoped with all her might …_please hear me Colonel…_

"This is Agent Angel Mouse requesting immediate backup and rescue at location zero one zero two four, my identity has been discovered and I am now in serious danger. I repeat, immediate backup is requested!"

Angel said no more and instead, pulled the gun from its pouch and shot at the rat now only centimetres from her, he snarled and pulled back, the bullet sinking into his shoulder; as fast as Angel could, she dived from under the pipe as it was ripped from its brackets by a much larger, muscular rat and thrown to the other side of the chamber. She held the gun in front of her, eyes and face fixed in determination; before her stood two rats, they too determined and smiling evilly. The larger of the two was white, his muscles toned and his veins clearly visible, his eyes were a deep red and his teeth were golden and cracked; the rat's tail was short and stubbly, as if it had been cut off at some point, but it was nothing to laugh at and Angel was certainly not laughing.

The rat Angel had shot was considerably shorter than the first, in fact he was shorter than Angel but it made no difference to the threat he posed for her, he was dark brown but had dyed, greasy red hair running a little along his back that was tied up; he too had golden teeth that were cracked and jagged but his eyes were grey and more sinister and cunning compared to his partner's. One ear held five piercings as did an eyebrow that also had a small pink scar running through it; he was missing several whiskers and a large chunk of his un-pierced ear was also missing. Angel recognised the both of them; she'd dealt with them before, each time narrowly missing losing a vital body part - like her head; the smaller was known as Clawface, his partner, Bruiser… both fitting names.

"Well, well… we might'a guessed it were you causin' problems."

"You know me Clawface," Angel replied coolly, "I'm not exactly one for a silent entry, or exit for that matter. Quiet as a mouse never did apply to me."

Clawface nodded and smiled evilly, still clutching his wounded shoulder "Yer, yer… too bad this time you aint gonna be exiting; and if you are, you'll be silent alright, so silent people might fink you is… well, a bit dead…"

"Oh I **will** be escaping; very much alive live and still kicking…"

He took a step forward but Angel clicked her gun warningly, Clawface stopped but did not hesitate, he just stood there… smiling even more. The agent felt a pang of worry slip through her body, why wasn't he afraid? He knew full well that Angel was not afraid to shoot or even kill for that matter; and yet he made no attempt to remove the weapon from her fingers. _He doesn't have to…_

Angel thought the words before she realised, there was no Bruiser standing behind Clawface, she'd been so fixated on halting the smaller threat she'd forgotten the much, much bigger one. That's when she heard it, the loud thud of a footstep from beside her and she turned, her gun ready… but it was too late, Bruiser stood inches away, his great hand already raised; he knocked the gun from Angel's hands and then punched her with his other fist emblazoned with brass knuckles. The white mouse flew backwards and hit the brick wall with a nasty crack followed by her limp body falling to the floor; she tried to push herself up but could only roll onto her back, her body stiff in sheer, nauseating pain and her head pounding heavily. She saw the two rats standing over her but their outlines were blurred, her vision was impaired and blotchy; and as the darkness surrounded her and the figures before her, she saw Clawface lean down to her, his lips beside her ear, and a sharp, clawed hand digging into her face, running along her neck and over her breast.

"_Live 'n' kicking eh Angel?"_

Angel did not have the strength to reply, or the strength to even widen her eyes; she knew she was losing consciousness as the black shadows swarmed towards the little light she could still see. As she finally gave up resisting and surrendered to the beating in her head and the constant spasms of pain in her muscles, she prayed with all her might that her high chances of rescue hadn't entirely been wishful thinking…


	2. Take Note

**Chapter Two**

Take Note

Back at the pillar box, our hero had taken to practising his 'camouflage' skills; the newspaper was now lying on his head as he lay perfectly still beneath it. Anyone would have overlooked him, (just what camouflage exists for)… had it not been for the regular whining noises escaping from his nostrils that made the paper lift slightly; revealing an open-mouthed Danger Mouse with a small blob of dribble running down his chin, his one eye half shut. Indeed, the World's Greatest Secret Agent was **not** practising his camouflage skills… he was sleeping; clearly, the results of Friday night's Big Brother eviction hadn't exactly been all that stimulating for the White Wonder.

DM stirred lightly and rolled onto his side, his tongue now flopping out, the snoring increasing in volume and the paper slowly floating down onto the floor where it lay still once more. His eyelid flickered as he continued to dream and once again, drool slowly made its way to the edge of its lip where it bounced up and down between snores…

_(Yes ladies and gentlemen, this __**is**__ the World's Greatest Secret Agent, but please, don't panic; even heroes need a break at times.) _

He was just starting to sink into true serenity, in his hands he held a large block of cheddar, its strong and powerful aroma shot into his nostrils and made his body shudder in sudden spasms of delight and eagerness. This was what it was like to be a mouse, the only dangers being next-door's cat and the occasional mouse trap – shabbily built and easy to outwit. A true mouse understood the meaning of freedom, DM held his world in his palms; his one true, natural goal in life… _cheese. _He opened his mouth wide and closed his eyes shut in anticipation, his taste buds tingling excitedly, impatiently…

"**ALERT, ALERT! INCOMING CALL FROM COLONEL K, DANGER MOUSE HEADQUARTERS RECEIVING TRANSMISSION!"**

The pillar box sirens blared at full volume, causing the poor, unsuspecting mouse to jump several feet in the air before returning to earth with a loud and painful thud; the living room lights flittered from red to yellow then blue and back again as DM lifted himself to his feet and rubbed his eyes in a tired but frustrated manner. Grumbling, he headed towards his television screen, now massaging his bruised backside tenderly…

_That's the last time I ask Professor Squarkencluck to upgrade my gadgets! _The agent thought as the modernised alert system finally came to an end.

Quickly recovered from his shock landing, Danger Mouse accepted the incoming call and looked up to see a slightly concerned beard staring at him, before shaking himself together to recognise the face attached to it. It was Colonel K, looking as confused and troubled as ever.

"What is it Colonel?" asked DM coolly, secretly rejoicing at having something to do.

The old Colonel nibbled one of his large, sausage-like fingers as he carefully worded the reply, but as the silence continued Danger Mouse became aware of the all too recognisable dumb expression on his boss's face; the Colonel was not thinking how to word the reply, he was trying to remember his reply. Yes, not for the first time in history, K had forgotten the all-important, world-saving, death-defying mission…

"Blast" muttered the Colonel to himself, "I know it was of the grave importance…"

"No kidding," mumbled Danger Mouse, sarcastically into his chest as his tucked his hands into his jumpsuit and sighed deeply, if he wasn't careful, he would end up drifting back to sleep… back to his cheddar…

_Tangy, succulent cheddar…_

"I'VE GOT IT!" came the elated cry from the Colonel's office! DM was once again wide-eyed and alert, a little disappointed at this second interruption, he was going to be angry if this had all been a false alarm.

"Well, Colonel? What is the problem?!"

The Colonel beamed happily, joyous as this _memorable_ occasion and cleared his throat. "One of our agents is in trouble DM, she's a young spy, 23 years of age and she's in dire peril. For the past three months she's worked undercover at one of the Hiders' clubhouses on the other side of the city but her cover has been blown somehow and we haven't heard from her since she alerted us with a message detailing her situation about ten minutes ago. We're dealing with Raspus' clan here, DM. You know what he's capable of…"

As the Colonel trailed off, the smile faded from his bushy, bearded face. "Ah yes…" was all he could muster, his voice dripping in shame and embarrassment.

But Danger Mouse was not interested in the Colonel's stupidity anymore, his heart was beating three times faster than usual; K had one thing right, he did know what Raspus was capable of… he'd witnessed it first hand. '_And they'd sent a young agent into his inner circle?! But that was suicide!'_

The agent tried to keep his voice steady as he asked the one question that would deliver him with enough information to try and save this poor female; "What did she say in her message, Colonel?"

It was a miraculous sight really, if the moment had been any more cheerful then DM would have rejoiced as his boss, aware of the weight on his shoulders, focused and successfully hit the correct button on his office control, the sweat beads rolling along his nose from the concentration put into the simple action as the message played…

"_This is Agent Angel Mouse requesting immediate backup and rescue at location zero one zero two four, my identity has been discovered and I am now in serious danger. I repeat, immediate backup is requested!!"_

The message ended with a single gun fire and an almighty crash of metal and piping, then silence.

"Can you help her, DM?" stumbled K, knocked by what he had heard and staring blankly at his answer machine.

There was no reply.

"Danger Mouse?!" K looked up to see Danger Mouse disappearing down the life chute towards his Mark III, there wasn't a moment to lose. The Colonel shook his head sadly. "_Save her…"_


	3. Cutting it Deep

**Chapter Three**

Cutting It Deep

The Mark III raced through the sky, her engine coughing slightly at the strain of her speed; DM looked worriedly at the onboard computer screen to check the power levels, this car had seen him through a lot of trouble, and now she wasn't going to last much longer. Stroking the steering wheel lightly, DM smiled sadly, suddenly moved; he recalled every mission they'd seen through to the end, often leaving the battle scene damaged but victorious.

This time, the car was going to need more than a re-spray…

"Come on girl," he muttered to it, "help me save one more life."

As if encouraged, the engine gave a tremendous roar in reply and DM gripped the wheel, veering the great yellow car downwards towards the derelict warehousing area Angel's message had broadcasted from; it rocketed along, skilfully avoiding the chimneypots of the terraced houses, ducking into alleys and preparing to land.

With one final dive, the Mark III tyres came close to skimming the pavement, Danger Mouse retracted the wings and the car landed quite gently; silently swerving into a darkened alley, the hero skilfully veered the MIII behind two large rubbish bins and turned off the engine just in time, before another vehicle entered the alley behind him…

DM jumped over his car door without a sound and slid between the two metal bins, trying hard to remain in the shadows as the driver of the second car, a polished, crimson red, rodent-sized Ferrari, climbed out. The White Wonder had to squint at this sinister new-comer, who seemed to have a natural ability when it came to avoiding the thin, weak rays of sunlight that actually managed to break through into the alley.

But the hero already knew the stranger, he was one of the latest in a long line of enemies that DM had had the unfortunate experience of meeting; Danger Mouse's keen eye had recognised the car, and the all-too-familiar sinister atmosphere that was now looming over his shoulders. This new arrival was none other than Raspus Moon, and there was no doubting the reason for his sudden return…

Angel.

It was simply beyond obvious that he was back to receive his prize; one helpless young female mouse, trapped and injured, something that Raspus always loved, it made the kill all more satisfying, torturing a victim first…

Shuddering at the thought, DM turned his attentions back to the shadowy rodent now pacing over to a sewage hole; he turned slightly, one gleaming eye behind his darkened sunglasses scanning the alley once more, causing DM to back further in between the bins. Confident that no one was following him, Raspus pulled the drainage grate towards him and slipped down the hole into the sewers beneath; after several seconds, Danger Mouse ran out from his hiding place and looked down after him. The hole was pitch black, even with the trickle of running water below, he had no way of telling how deep it was, but then again, it wouldn't be the first time the agent had thrown himself into something in which he didn't know everything he was doing.

…**It was more exciting that way.**

And so, after a moment's deliberation, weighing up both his and Angel's chances of survival - _minimal - _DM took a slow breath and dived into the sewers after Raspus, using his trusted nose to follow his scent and to hopefully find Angel before it was too late…

***

Slowly, Angel's sight returned; amongst the gloom, foggy, blurred figures were moving, she could hear twisted laughter and the hard chink of glasses. The fragile mouse became aware of her surroundings little by little; the damp stone floor she was lying on made her muscles tremble with the cold, coarse rope that bound her ankles and wrists created a burning sensation against her flesh and a sodden gag pushed harshly between her teeth left a nauseatingly rotten taste in her mouth.

Angel's clothes were torn in several places revealing fresh cuts that were throbbing violently, some dangerously deep; she knew they hadn't been there before she'd passed out; the thought of what these rodents had done to her made her spasm with a sudden feeling of sickness, trying to block out the images of their clawed fingers touching her limp body, taking the advantage of her being out cold. As she trembled, a sharp jet of pain raced through her spine from the bullet still lodged in her waist; the unexpected agony made her gasp loudly, she desperately struggled against the rope, trying with little effect to move herself into a less distressing position for her body.

But Angel stopped struggling almost immediately, every noise in the room stopped, the atmosphere intensified and the agent's heart quickened in pace from the terror of realisation; the rats slowly turned their attentions on the captive Angel excitedly, she was finally awake and able to scream...

Angel dared to look up; at least thirty pairs of eyes were staring hungrily towards her frail, injured body, ravenous smiles revealing golden glinting fangs. She was accustomed to the darkness now; they were in a circular stoned room, it reminded her of a cellar but she noticed that it suspiciously and disgustedly held the stench of a drainage pipe. Angel was laid out in the centre, one small, flickering lamp above her emphasised the shadows beneath her petrified eyes and accentuated the purple tinge to her forming bruises as well as revealing her stunning, slender figure. On top of that, she was surrounded by almost every rodent killer in the east end of London, rats and rogue mice who just happened to thirst at her sexual appeal; flashes of light in the shadows answered her question of how she'd sustained so many injuries, her keen eyes allowed her to see that every rat in her presence was holding a silver dagger of some kind… no doubt they were all stained with her blood.

A deep chuckle behind her made her freeze but only momentarily, she'd been expecting this; craning her neck backwards to see, Angel couldn't resist a vengeful smile escaping her lips at the sight of Clawface, drained and pale and a bloodied bandage wrapped around his shoulder, Bruiser stood behind him looking on concerned at the health of his boss. Unfortunately, Clawface was just as amused at the sight of Angel spread out before him so temptingly; Raspus would be very pleased, and it was even better that the beloved pack leader happened to be away for the time being… However, the sight of Angel still managing to muster the courage to stare mockingly in his direction made his blood boil furiously.

Fury raged within him as a strangled cry escaped his lips, he lunged forward in blind anger and kicked her in the back of her shoulder with tremendous power, a sickening crack, similar to that of her hitting the wall, sounded as bones shattered and Angel bounded across the room and almost into the shadows, she held back a scream. Encouraging applause broke out amongst the audience; Clawface made a mock bow in their direction, fuelled by his victim's pained screams and his longing to do more damage. Blinded by unfathomable lust, he edged towards Angel again who tried to push herself away desperately with her bound wrists, causing only more damage to her already mutilated body; the rat sneered, golden teeth glinting, eyes menacingly alive. He leaned into Angels face and stroked one bruised cheek with a sharpened claw; she winced as his other hand held her neck firmly into the ground, realisation dawning over her at the depths of her situation, reading in Clawface's eyes his intentions.

"_Don't bother, darlin'." _The rat mused under his breath. _"I'm sure you'll experience some pleasure before ye die… hell, I know we all will!_"

He suddenly groped at one breast with a grimy hand and slid his other to her inner thigh where he grasped, crazily and hungrily. Angel squirmed; no longer able to hide the panic-stricken sobs, tears formed in her eyes as her belt slipped to the floor, never before had her wish to die been so powerful.

_Oh God, please, I don't want to live through this; please, __**please**__ kill me, I __**beg**__ of you…_

"**Clawface…"**

Angel froze.

Clawface froze.

Every single rodent in the whole room froze.

"_S-s-sir…"_ stammered Angel's torturer. Immediately Clawface dived off her body and twisted around almost reluctantly to look up at the only rat above his own authority, his boss, his idol; Raspus Moon…

The outer circle of the room was much darker, but Angel noted how at least a third of the audience had shuffled away from where Clawface was looking, only Bruiser remained, his head bowed in respect and adoration. Very steadily, the 'clunking' of heavy boots made their way towards the lit, inner ring and a tall, brown rat was revealed looking down on his second-in command.

Angel's heart skipped a beat as her eyes fell upon the character she too knew all too well, Clawface was nothing to this rat, she'd face a hundred Clawfaces if she had to, just to avoid him; Raspus towered over all the other rodents except for Bruiser, but even he shrunk timidly in his boss's presence. A long black jacket that skimmed the stone floor he was wearing was open, he wore no t-shirt beneath and the sleeves had been torn off, revealing not only the powerful muscles on his arms and stomach but also the hundreds of battle scars. Around his neck hung a thick silver chain, bearing the charm of a half moon; flared black trousers, held up by a belt hid his steel-capped, studded boots, several daggers rested in pouches on the belt on which he rested one hand.

But it was his face that captured everyone's attention, had he not been a murderous psychopath it could almost have been handsome; only his experiences in life, had tainted the once young, attractive rat now standing casually over the cowering Clawface. Sleek black hair ran over his eyes that he brushed casually away as he pulled off a pair of darkened sunglasses to reveal emerald green eyes, so dark that they were almost black themselves. His face was taut but it was not scarred as the rest of him was, only one deep cut ran over his left cheekbone, the slightest of injuries that only added to his atmosphere of mystery; but the scar had marked him permanently, the face he once saw as beautiful was now disfigured to him, all his reflection screamed to him now was revenge. It was his lucky day then that the creature who had dared to defy and maim him, was lying just behind Clawface, after months of searching, he had her in his grasp…

So, he could not help but clench his hanging fist in rage as he saw her, already bruised and broken; Clawface had not waited for his return.

_Clawface would pay and Clawface knew it._

Angel watched on, eyes fixed on Raspus' serene expression as he reached for a dagger hanging on his belt; it was a weapon she remembered well, the once silver blade permanently stained crimson and the handle carved intricately to resemble the head of a serpent. Clawface recognised it too, his hand instinctively jolted up towards his eyebrow and he began to tremble violently.

"No, sir! I beg of you!"

Raspus said nothing, his green eyes merely flickered to Angel momentarily, anticipating the moment she would be his and sighed, shrugging at his second-in-command. "Rules are rules." he mused, "Maybe after this time you'll follow them."

With a click of his fingers, two rats raced up to Clawface and held him firmly in place as he struggled in vain to be free, crying at the same time for forgiveness. Raspus took a step closer, every eye was on his blade clutched in his palm, Angel all but forgotten; he raised it high above the captive rat, choosing his target. And with a suddenly evil smile he lunged towards his face, the sound of metal piercing something soggy was sickening; Angel began to heave as she watched the blade delve further in Clawface's eye, blood spewing everywhere, bones crunching, and his pained screams mutilating her soul as much as his claws had mutilated her body.

Even he did not deserve this…

Unable to look away, Angel could only think of one thing.

_I'm next…_


	4. The Angel's Guardian

**Chapter Four**

The Angel's Guardian

Danger Mouse's heart was in his throat, his brow furrowed, eye fixated on avoiding the deep puddles plaguing the pathway alongside the stream of sewer water; one wrong foot, one splash, just one slight sound and Raspus' keen ears were bound to hear. He had to be careful. His nose was all he needed right now, it stayed hooked to the powerful cologne his target wore, a nasty smell that would have made his eye water - if the stench of what was in the running water beneath him hadn't have been much stronger.

DM grimaced as he scurried along, despite every dangerous situation he'd been in, he'd never found himself in any quite so… _filthy. _It was a shameful thought, one that brought a potent and overwhelming sense of anger upon the hero at how his own department could send such a young spy into such a threatening scenario.

_Then again,_ he considered, still racing along the narrowing tunnel, _it makes sense. They'd need a girl about Angel's age - she's beautiful no doubt - someone who could easily penetrate the rodent's clubhouse without any questions asked. She must have known this, the Colonel isn't one for forgetting to debrief a spy beforehand - no matter how many times he's come close to doing just that - they just can't have sent her in unaware of the dangers, she must have been trained for this. _

At this, the agent sighed, though he cut it short quite abruptly as he remembered Raspus' excellent hearing. He'd finally understood why Angel had allowed herself to be so involved in the infiltration - there were few agents that DM could think of who had managed to be engaged in such levels of espionage at such a young age, he was one of them after all; and the White Wonder had also had enough experience in the matter of 'rookies' such as her to know that they were all _desperate_. Desperate to do anything that would prove their ability to their commanders, to prove themselves worthy of their titles as Secret Agents; unfortunately, many had lost their lives in order to demonstrate these abilities, and had ultimately ended any dream of ever being remembered.

Now it was down to Danger Mouse to prevent Angel from becoming just another statistic in the Service's victims list.

Fortunately, DM was pulled from his darkened thoughts as he noted with his concentrated senses that Raspus had come to a halt, the rat's scent grew ever more pungent as the agent went from a sprint to a tiptoe, coming close to rounding the corner. There was a sound of bolts being turned, a rusty handle being forced down and the slow but steady creak of sturdy hinges being forced back. As Danger Mouse dared a quick look from around the bricked wall, a dim light illuminated the sewers allowing the hero to finally see his surroundings clearly.

The sewage stream continuing to trickle sedately on the right hand side of him, was being directed into a narrower and much lower tunnel further along where it met another, much faster current of water; Raspus though, had stopped at the end of the pathway and was now pulling back what seemed to be the cover of an electrical sewage maintenance system… what was behind it however, was not a collection of wires but a large and open room, filled almost to the brim with rodents all staring inwards. Raspus had not been noticed and DM noted the satisfied smile upon his target's face as if this pleased him almost.

Sadly, Danger Mouse had little time to see if Angel was in there, though he was quite certain of it now he knew this was where Raspus had been heading; the rat was already slinking into the room, blocking a lot of DM's limited view with something the hero didn't really want to stare at, yet he left the panel open behind him just wide enough for a smaller, leaner mouse to fit through. The hero's mind raced frantically, Raspus was the leader of the Hiders, a clan of rats that favoured surprise over intelligence; clearly, right now Raspus was depending on such a entrance that no one would even know he was there…

_But why?_ Questioned DM. _why isn't he being welcomed in, as if he was expected?_

Only, as Raspus vanished into the riveted crowd, Danger Mouse realised that he hadn't a moment to lose before the rat made his move; silently, the Wonder followed, as cautiously and as skilfully as the rodent before him.

***

The room DM entered was circular, quite like a small wine cellar… and the atmosphere was certainly as toxic – bubbling with a lustful excitement the hero did often associate with alcohol. At first, the agent had worried about catching one of the audience member's attentions, though now as he forced himself almost flat against the wall he could see that that wasn't going to be a problem. Every eye was fixed on something in the centre of the room, something lit up by one battered lampshade; every spectator was leaning in, ears strained, eyes focused, almost as if trying to be involved in the action Danger Mouse could not see. Someone was laughing to themselves in the centre, someone short and hidden behind bobbing heads; someone who seemed to be enjoying themselves. DM could only imagine at what.

Raspus, on the other hand, had disappeared; his dark, sleek figure had meandered into the rigid crowd so naturally it was if he was merely a shadow. DM's heart quickened its pace, it was humming in his chest as it beat faster and faster as the understanding dawned upon the hero at just how hopeless this situation was; Angel's heart would soon be doing quite the opposite if he didn't hurry, but he didn't even know where she was! He tiptoed around the edge silently, trying to find a clearing in the unmoving audience, but something made his body freeze, something paralysed him in absolute horror.

There had been a cry of anger and fury, the rushed steps of someone charging forward, a bone had shattered and something heavy had bounded across the floor; it was something that had screamed in a muffled voice, a scream of agony.

_Angel was three feet away and being tortured._

DM clenched his fist at the very thought, blinded by the most uncontrollable anger that overwhelmed his sense of thought and legitimacy. It was a feeling he had rarely felt before.

'_Forget it! _He'd cursed to himself, '_It's now or never to save her life! Take the damn chance! Be a bally hero!'_

But as he prepared to dive into the crowd, Raspus had spoken in that deep and authoritative voice…

"**Clawface…**"

A wave of shock and fear had spread through the room like ice; DM was knocked to his senses immediately and stumbled backwards as the audience separated into smaller, cowering groups. He could see over their heads now, Raspus was standing facing Clawface who was stammering some kind of explanation - but it was of no interest to Danger Mouse; what was of interest was the fact that the audience had not just moved out of Raspus' way, they had also moved out of Angel's. Every rodent had distanced themselves from the female they had always known was intended for Raspus, there was no need for them to get dragged into Clawface's trouble, let him deal with the consequences of betraying their leader...

It couldn't have been more perfect, the bound and gagged mouse he assumed to be Angel was almost directly at DM's feet at the edge of the shadowed circle; his attention returned to the audience and Raspus, but the rat was too busy pulling his dagger from his belt and casually wiping it on his coat sleeve to notice the agent.

Clawface was turned away from Angel too, too busy begging for mercy; DM grimaced, his experience of the second-in-command had left him for worst for wear on more than one occasion - the creature deserved his comeuppance.

Angel beneath him was staring rigidly in the same direction, anticipating the worst, her face was half hidden by her hair, outfit torn and body bloodied; it was now or never to get her out, this was the opportune moment. All DM could do now was hope she wouldn't panic… otherwise they'd be done for.

But DM's eye shot back up in alarm for a startling second as he heard Clawface wail agonisingly, the squelch of juicy flesh was a little overwhelming as the Wonder witnessed the blade slice through an open socket. Angel still did not look away; she was petrified with fear and the realisation that she was next.

Fortunately, Danger Mouse had other plans…

Gently, he lowered himself to the ground, remaining in the shadows as much as possible; he leaned forward so his lips almost brushed against her ear. Her sharp but quiet intake of breath told him she'd become aware of his presence; Raspus though, was still intent with his slicing and dicing…

"_Agent Danger Mouse, responding to the SOS you broadcasted at 0903 hours; I'm here to get you out of this ugly predicament. Be as still and as silent as possible, alright?"_

His words were barely understandable they were that quiet, though Angel, without taking her eyes away from Raspus, nodded slightly in understanding. DM sighed gratefully at how disciplined she was, there was no doubt that she was in a lot of pain, yet still she didn't even flinch as he carefully wrapped his left arm underneath her legs and his right behind her back. She remained as still as possible as the hero pulled her silently into the darkness of the shadows and lifted her up effortlessly; he slid to the opening in the room as fast as he dared; though Clawface's cries continued, he didn't know for how long, it wasn't worth the risk of hanging around to find out.

And without a second look back, he disappeared from the room, a battered Angel clinging to him limply; the easy part had been done, only half his mission remained – he'd _found_ her alive alright, but how long she _stayed_ alive now, would be an entirely different matter…


	5. The Great Escape

**Chapter Five**

The Great Escape

Raspus was too caught up in his overwhelming, vengeful thirst for blood to think about anything else, his mind had become blank bar for one thing… _**the blood**_; everything in the room swirled into one huge blur, all he could see was the red, warm liquid bursting from the gaping wound in front of his face, tormented screams sang to him. He delved further. The powerful smell hit him and he succumbed to his blood lust, spots would fly towards his face now and again and he'd lick them away hungrily. Clawface was still crying, screaming, wailing for forgiveness.

_He'd think twice next time before disobeying him…_

No one had ever dared to fool around with a victim before Raspus, the idea was suicidal in most cases; Clawface was lucky that he was a high-ranking official. _He was very, very lucky._ But what made Raspus's blood boil even more was the uniqueness of this particular victim, this was _Angel Mouse_; the agent who on more than one occasion had thwarted his fantastically flawless schemes, who had infiltrated every base he'd ever set up and who had scarred his perfect face. This was the creature that was of particular interest to a business partner, a creature he could sell for a significant profit… she was a creature only centimetres away from him, and she was _his._

Such an image of her bound and weakened made Raspus's head spin, he'd suffered for months in his attempts to catch her and to seek his unique form of revenge; yet not only was she an enemy, she was his _weakness_. Raspus had fought desperately to try and force back the uncontrollable desire he felt when she was near him, she was a female who had dared to defy him and one that refused to scream, she would only ever fight. Even now, he mused, she would still resist him; even now in such a state.

Slowly, a menacing smile crept over Raspus's face, the pressure he placed on the dagger still lodged in Clawface's socket lowered slightly as he allowed his thoughts to wander; it was not the lust for blood he felt now, it was lust for her. His eyes wavered for a minute and he retracted the blade slightly, Clawface's dying screams seemed distant to him; one look wouldn't hurt him, just to see her there, all his. Just one look. The rat drew himself up and steadily, his gaze drifted to where she was…

The smile disappeared.

There was a murmur of confusion in the audience; what was wrong? His eye twitched slightly, his fist clenched firmly; the rat's heart was pounding, his throat growling with a dangerous ferociousness. With a clean, strong movement Raspus retracted the blade entirely from the remainders of Clawface's eye, his victim crumpled and fell to the floor moaning and crying, still screaming. Raspus did not care. His growl turned into a raging cry.

"**WHERE - THE - HELL - IS - SHE?!"**

The spectators finally grasped what was wrong and the room was filled with horrified gasps and cries; Angel had gone, she'd disappeared. Raspus had lost his chance.

Or at least they all thought so. Their blessed leader, however, was already sniffing the air he'd extracted his claws and was crouching as though ready to pounce; something had caught his attention - there was a second familiar scent in the room, it was not Angel's and it certainly did not smell of a sewer rat. It was one he had come across before. As he placed it to its owner, a second snarl ripped through from his throat.

"_Danger Mouse."_

There were more gasps but Raspus ignored them and continued to focus on this vital clue, the trail was fresh - two minutes old at the most - he was not beaten yet; he knew these sewers like every scar on his body, he could find them. He would find them. _And when he did…_

The hunter stood up and eyed the audience.

"Bruiser!" he barked. The muscular rat stepped forward and bowed his head.

"Yessir?"

"Get this little shit out of my sight," he replied, gesturing towards Clawface with a strong kick in his back. "And make sure he doesn't die." Bruiser nodded in understanding and scooped up the whimpering rodent before disappearing into the shadows. "The rest of you!" snarled Raspus, addressing the crowd, "You're with me, take any means necessary to bring them **both** to a halt - but I'm warning you - you kill **either of them **and I will personally make sure it's the last thing you ever do! Now, **let's go!**"

And with that they rocketed through the door, celebratory cheers escaping many of their mouths, thankful for some action. Separating into smaller groups, they divided to the right and left, scuttling away skilfully but not all that silently; Raspus stood for a second, hand in his pocket and sneering, Danger Mouse and Angel didn't have a hope in high heaven of escaping…

***

DM was up to his waist in thick, slimy sewage water; Angel still bound and partly unconscious was lying limply over his shoulder. He'd gone further into the tunnel, the fast current of green ooze was making it hard to walk but he couldn't swim, Angel's wounds were too severe, too open to risk revealing them to such germ ridden substances, her life was dangerously fragile as it was. So the agent bravely trudged on, ignoring the hideous stench surrounding him and using the firm grips on the soles of his boots to remain balanced, knowing that he wouldn't have long before Raspus noticed Angel's missing whereabouts. Their lead on the group of rodents was vital, acting fact was the most important thing DM could do; the young female on his shoulder stirred from her drowsy state, wincing slightly as she did so; Danger Mouse wished he could hold her properly, firmly in his arms where he could steady her, he could only imagine how much pain she must be in. As he continued to wade through the green river something in the darkness became clearer, continued to wad through the through the gloom, the agent could see that there was some kind of ledge ahead where another pathway began. He had to make it across before they found them, then they'd at least have some kind of chance of escape, then Angel might be able to live a little longer…

As skilfully as he could manage, DM moved Angel further onto his back; it caused a slight panged cry of discomfort to escape her lips and she struggled briefly for a second, momentarily forgetting where she was and who it was who carried her.

"_I'm sorry, Angel." _He whispered. "_Just bear with me."_

She mumbled gently something that sounded like an apology and DM noted the way she tensed her body to minimise the pain he created as he moved, she was certainly determined and more worryingly, certainly used to dealing with such pain.

"_Stay as still as possible."_

Steadily, DM leaned forward, his chin barely out of the slime and Angel clinging to him, growing aware of what he was planning to do; it was now or never - he had to jump. Suddenly, with accurate precision and astounding grace the agent leapt through the air, pushing himself from the slippery sewer floor and almost gliding towards the ledge that came ever closer; he reached out a hand, the other gripping Angel tightly, preventing her from slipping off. He caught the edge and pulled himself towards it determinedly, with only one hand still free he managed to throw himself partly onto it and slide Angel onto the bare concrete floor where she lay unmoving; crouching slightly, he then dived over the top of her and landed neatly on the palms of his hands inches away before flipping onto his feet.

A small proud smile grew on the agent's face, one emblazoned with affirmed self belief. Unfortunately, it disappeared quite quickly as DM noted how bad he now smelt and realised that he was covered from neck to toe in things he'd rather not look at. He screwed up his nose as he tried to shake most of the oozing liquid off his suit.

"Penfold's not going to be happy."

For a second the agent felt terribly guilty at wishing for adventure earlier that very morning, but the feeling was soon overcome by one of impending anxiety as he recalled Angel, still lying quite still before him; pacing to her side, Danger Mouse knelt down and lifted her head, removing the gag from her mouth gingerly, her eyes remained closed, they didn't even flicker. An awful sickly feeling appeared in DM's stomach, had he failed? The agent scanned her face for any sign of life, trying to ignore the severity of the cuts and bruises on her cheeks and lips.

"Oh no," he trembled, "Come on, Angel, don't give up now."

The White Wonder desperately tried to remain calm but it was having little effect; he chewed his finger for a moment, suddenly blank as to what to do, panic clouding his rationality. And then, it clicked. He pushed his head against her chest and raised two fingers to her throat, listening, praying, **hoping** that there would not be silence.

_Come on, live!_

The sound DM heard was enough to make him cry out with laughter, sure enough, Angel's heart was still beating strongly, he could feel her blood pulsating through her throat; she was still breathing, she was still alive. Unfortunately now was not the time for cheering, in the distance his keen ears picked up the sound of an angered roar… Raspus knew he was here, their presence had been detected. Swiftly, happy that Angel would survive just a little longer, DM rolled her onto her side and gnawed through the rope around her wrists and ankles with his powerful jaw; he then lifted her into his arms steadily and laid her head against his chest. A powerful aroma of cinnamon and other spices from her hair awed him for just a second as she stirred a little and her fingers flexed. He had not seen her properly in the dim light of the sewers but he knew from the shape of her face that she was beautiful, a sudden and overwhelming determination to let her see another day swept over him…

"We're getting out of here Angel, we're going to live!"

With that he shot off down the corridor again, not stopping to look around, his nose told him what he could not see, the rats were not far behind.

***

Raspus could smell him, the trail was faint but he had never doubted his senses; in truth he had snickered once he'd realised the way the agent had fled. Through the river of sewage was not a choice many others would have taken but he knew DM was clever. Sadly his own men were not so.

"Why's he gone that way, the daft sod?"

Raspus' own hand picked team of rodents were all leaning over the ledge and staring into the green filth beneath them, quite astounded that their hunt had chosen such a path. Their leader could only roll his eyes as he sniffed the air.

"Because you brainless idiots, the one damn thing that covers the stench of 'superhero' is the reeking smell of shit! And seeing as this place reeks of the stuff, by covering himself in it he's going to be that little bit harder to track down! So we haven't got a moment to lose, get going!"

The rat's stared at him, gormlessly.

"What is it now?!?"

They did not reply at first, some mumbled into their shoes, others merely looked sheepish, Raspus was not amused, and his temper was increasing quickly. He growled viciously, emphasising his impatience; steadily, one of his group members looked up at him and raised a trembling claw to ask permission to speak.

"WELL???" Raspus demanded.

"Sir," the small grey lump of fur squeaked, "We can't swim very well…"


	6. Live or Die

**Chapter Six**

Live or Die

Danger Mouse was still rocketing along the corridors whilst Angel steadily gained consciousness in his arms, she gripped at his wrist to tell him that she was still alive and he squeezed her hand gently. He was grateful for her company, especially now that he realised that he was slightly lost. The agent looked down at the female in his arms but he could barely make out her faint outline; he knew her eyes were open but it was just too dark to make out them out, for some unknown reason he found himself wanting to look at them, to learn their colour. Were they blue? Green? Brown? What colour…?

DM shook himself from his daydream, he had no idea what had just come over him but it was certainly not the time to ponder over such a pointless topic; though he still found himself entertaining the idea that if he found his way out of here with Angel alive, then at least he'd be able to find out. He came to sudden halt and Angel stiffened.

"What is it?" she muttered hoarsely, her voice still managing to remain calm and steady. Danger Mouse noted the sense of authority in her voice; no emotion was detected in her smooth tones, she seemed quite prepared for such a situation. DM clearly was not, as his sudden problem was about to demonstrate.

"I'm lost." He replied, bluntly.

He felt Angel raise her neck cautiously in his arms and he felt her hair brushing his face, it was damp against his cheek but he made no remark, Angel was thinking. Through the silence he heard it, the short and sharp intakes of breath she made through the nose, scenting the air. She raised herself higher, wincing a little, then she stopped and collapsed back down into his arms…

"Down this corridor, second right, fourth left, second left, first right – there's a small escape hatch at the very end that was once used by the rodents who travelled along these sewers in case of emergencies…"

DM was amazed, "how do you know all of that?" he asked as he started running again. There was a short laugh in reply, "Rule one of under cover espionage; always, **always** be aware of your escape routes if things go wrong."

"Things have gone wrong before then?" he questioned, turning right down the second corridor.

"No." came the reply, "No, I've never been discovered before."

The World's Greatest Secret Agent thought for a moment and then grew aware that he was coming up to the final corner; through the darkness he could see the small ray of light up ahead, Angel was right, there was a way out… Was this it then? Were they really going to live?

All of a sudden, a giant fist shot out from a cavern in the wall on the left hand side, it smacked DM in the face with such force that he was knocked backwards into the air and thrown against the opposite wall. Angel flew from his arms and landed in a crumpled mess on the floor, already weakened bones cracked and she finally allowed herself to cry out in pain, DM could hear her stifled whimpers in the darkened distance as he lay there upside down, stunned; suddenly, a grey and blurry figure approached him, blocking all light. Two thick hands grabbed him by his neck, gigantic fingers clasped around his throat tightly and lifted him off his feet; as his vision cleared, a huge silver rat came into focus. It was Crusher, Bruiser's older brother, the rodent that had taught the latter **all** of his brutal tricks...

"I'm gonna kill you so bad you little prick" snarled the rat, ramming DM's back into the wall and squeezing ever tighter at his fragile neck, the agent began to choke and splutter, his thin fingers clawing at Crusher's bulky hands. He was suffocating, his heart pounded in his chest and his head throbbed, Angel was no longer whimpering, maybe she'd made a break for it, as he died slowly…

_Not like this, I didn't want to die like this…_

Angel Mouse lay curled in a ball on the floor experiencing the most excruciating agony imaginable, but what pained her even more was listening to Danger Mouse's wheezing and small cries for mercy; she hadn't wanted _him_ to come, he was too valuable for such a mission, and he was going to die because of _her._ Why had she even called for help? Why hadn't she just let herself die, bravely, like DM would have done?

Angel knew the answer. Because she'd wanted to become like DM, she'd wanted the grandeur, the splendour of being a top agent… of being a _hero._ Now all she'd succeeded in doing was participating in the World's Greatest Secret Agent's demise… She didn't want him to die.

No, she didn't want him to die.

And he wasn't going to.

Steadily, Angel rolled onto her back and slowly pushed her hand down her trouser leg, trying to move as little as possible. The tips of her fingers brushed down the seam until they touched something in their way, something solid, something sharp…

She hadn't wanted to use this, she'd never wanted to kill anyone; a life was a life, no one deserved death.

But it was either Crusher or DM - she didn't want DM to die.

That was all the encouragement she needed as she slipped the object from the small pocket inside her trousers and pushed herself onto her feet…

DM knew he was dying, he was running out of air quickly, no matter how hard he kicked or struggled, Crusher never let go, he was going to die here. It didn't really bother him, not now anyway, what bothered him was that he had died failing a mission, his only failed mission was to be his last. And the last thing he would see would be one of the ugliest rats on the whole planet, and more importantly he would smell perhaps the most disgusting breath on the whole planet too – Crusher clearly didn't clean his teeth very often.

The hero suddenly realised how delirious he was, the lack of oxygen was messing with his brain. His hands wrenched at Crusher's fingers but still nothing happened, everything was fading away, the darkness swooped in…

Then something silver glinted before his eyes, dazzling bright and terribly sharp, it was moving cautiously in the distance, growing bigger and clearer as it came closer. Was he dead? Was this the light at the end of the tunnel? The silver object rose higher and higher, glinting in the little light left in DM's eye; then it shot down at a terrific speed, the silver becoming blurred and then disappearing under a cloud of red. There was a roar of anguish and pain and Crusher's fingers retracted immediately, Danger Mouse fell to the floor and lay there, chocking and spluttering, his neck already beginning to bruise.

As he lay there, rubbing his swollen throat and enjoying the feeling of breathing, his head began to stop throbbing and his vision returned; two figures were moving before him, there were cries and groans. He wiped his hand down his cheek and his fingers slipped through something wet and warm, he raised his palm to his face and saw the small droplets of blood running over his hand. Someone else's blood…

_Angel._

Suddenly, everything came into focus and DM's body stiffened, fists at the ready. But his mind was not prepared for what he saw. Angel was holding onto the back of Crusher, one arm wrapped around his neck and the other holding a small object firmly; it was a knife, a sharp knife now stained with blood. Crusher was howling clutching at a wound on the side of his neck and his other hand trying to pull Angel off.

"Angel!" DM cried, as he watched the broken and battered mouse clinging on for her life. "Angel, get off! Save yourself!"

"Get the hatch open!" she replied, ignoring his order. "If you don't, we're both dead!"

"But…"

"Just **DO IT!**"

DM was unused to be ordered about, but he heard the urgency in her voice and ran to the end of the corridor; there was indeed an escape hatch, two rusting metal doors above him, just beside a rotten wooden ladder. He jumped up, unable to hide the celebratory expression on his face and pushed the lever upwards. Nothing happened.

The mechanism was jammed.

_Oh no… _

Danger Mouse tried again, fists clenched around the small metal lever, placing all of his weight against it and pushing as hard as was physically possible.

Angel felt her stomach churn as she was hurled through the air, her good arm was still wrapped around Crusher's neck but slowly it began to slip away as her broken fingers lost their grip on his fur. Crusher snarled as her arm dropped lower and he saw his chance, curling his neck and biting at her bare flesh with his sharp teeth, ripping away at the flesh. Angel yelled through gritted teeth and cursed to herself; she swung back her hand holding the blade and thrust it into the back of Crusher's neck, forcing it deeper into his body. She looked up to see Danger Mouse trying to push open the hatch, they were never going to get out, unless…

She held her breath, her heart pumping as her mind raced ahead; pushing her feet against Crusher's back, she flew through the air, flipping onto her feet and landing delicately on the floor beside the hatch. DM looked up astounded at the unexpected arrival as she turned to him; the agent caught a flash of startling blue in her eyes, but he didn't get to look for long…

"Sorry," she whispered before pushing him off the ladder and onto the ground where he skidded out of the way into the corner. Angel bounded up the steps of the ladder and whistled, Crusher turned and screamed, veins protruding from his temple and blood running down his chest; there were cries from behind, along the darkened corridor, the others were on their way. It was now or never.

Angel leaned under the lever and beckoned Crusher forward, "Come and get it, sweetheart" she coaxed. Crusher needed no encouragement and began to charge forward; DM stood, horrified as he saw what Angel was doing. She braced herself beneath the lever, leaning forward with her arms outstretched, palms against the wall behind her. The gigantic rat rammed into her with such force that DM had to look away to stop himself from being sick, Crusher had thrown his whole weight against her, pushing her body up to see her face before he killed her. As he'd done so, he'd pushed the lever up with her, exerting enough force against it to move the rusting bar; Angel's body was too fragile, the bones too delicate, but the pain was numbed, she could no longer feel…

Light filled the darkened corner from above them… the hatch was open. Crusher looked up, bewildered by the sun he'd hadn't seen in years; it was enough time for Angel, she buried the blade deep into the side of his neck in a flash and he released her, falling backwards against the damp stone floor and slowly drowning in his own blood. Danger Mouse raced forward and scooped Angel into his arms; carrying her up the ladder as the weakened lever began to slip, more rats were running down the corridor, there was gun fire. As he dived through the hatch, he caught Raspus leading, his face one of uncontrollable hatred and burning anger, the two agents landed against the dry concrete just as the lever gave in and the two metal doors snapped shut, leaving the rodents beneath to curse in resentment and Raspus to cry out his revenge…

DM lay there for a moment in a sunlit alley, Angel lying beside him on her side; his ears picked up the sound of traffic nearby and the cheerful chatter of humans, he'd never felt more happy to be alive, every beat of his heart was like a celebration. The White Wonder clambered to his feet carefully and took a deep breath, the rush of fresh air almost thrilling.

"We made it Angel!" he exclaimed.

There was no reply, DM turned slowly to face the other agent, still lying on her side; she had not moved at all. His heart sank in his chest as he took a step towards her gingerly and leant forward, his hand outstretched.

'Angel… are you alright?'

His hand gently held her arm and pulled her to face him, what met him made tears form in his eye. Angel's face was one of the most beautiful that Danger Mouse had ever seen… but it was covered in blood; her eyes were closed and she was barely breathing. DM held his breath to stop himself from panicking; he had to get her somewhere safe.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared over them and he looked up, shielding his eye from the blinding sun. A huge gust of wind blew him backwards slightly and the constant beating of wings became noticeable, the agent almost cheered with joy. It was Buggles the pigeon. The great bird landed with a thud against the dry ground and saluted to the White Wonder.

"Commander Buggles reporting for duty, sir! So sorry I'm late DM, we've only just been able to locate your tracker; it seems the old sewer systems have no signal! Did you save her?"'

The bird looked expectantly to DM who had turned his back to him as he'd spoken to scoop the limp Angel from the ground, as he returned to face the pigeon, Buggles's face dropped in horror.

"Good grief…"

"We have to get her to the pillar box Buggles, and fast."

The bird nodded, "Yes'sir!" and dropped his wing to let DM clamber on, Angel still lying in his arms, bloodied and bruised.

"Hold on Angel…" DM whispered in her ear as Buggles took off into the sky, "Hold on…"


	7. In Safe Hands

**Chapter Seven**

In Safe Hands

"_Well, will she live?"_

"_Yes, but she plenty of care will need."_

"_Don't worry Professor; she's in good hands here…"_

"_DM, you're a hero."_

"_Merely doing my job, Colonel…"_

Penfold stirred in his sleep restlessly; he wished the voices would go away, they were disturbing his dreams filled with sherbet lemons and fruit drops… He knew that he should have gotten up hours ago, but the when the alarm had sounded earlier that morning, he had decided to try and trick DM into thinking he was still too fast asleep to have been of any help; somehow it had worked and his boss had gone off without him. Now that he was back, Penfold was waiting for that dreaded time when he'd have to get out from underneath his warm bedcovers.

Unfortunately for poor little Penfold, that was time was already upon him.

"**ERNEST PENFOLD, GET YOUR ROTUND LITTLE SELF INTO THE LIVING ROOM PRONTO, I KNOW YOU'RE AWAKE, AND THAT YOU WERE IN FACT AWAKE FOUR HOURS AGO WHEN I LEFT! SORRY TO SAY THIS, MY DEAR ASSISTANT, BUT I WASN'T BORN YESTERDAY!"**

Penfold hated mornings… and afternoons… and anytime that he wasn't in his bed; reluctantly he began to poke out his chubby toes from underneath his duvet, then his feet, and then his legs until the whole of his chubby little self emerged and landed with a dull thud upon the carpet. The hamster rubbed his tired eyes as he waddled over to the wardrobe in the far corner and opened its doors; he reached in and pulled out his usual blue suit and yellow tie combination and proceeded to fight his way into it.

After a few minutes of struggling, Ernest decided that he looked reasonably presentable; as ever his shirt collar refused to sit neatly and he found his stomach bulged a little more so over his trousers than usual - but Danger Mouse was not one to be kept waiting any longer than he had to be and Penfold was already four hours late from bed - as his dear Chief had reminded him. Rushing from the room, the hamster picked up his thick rimmed spectacles from the dressing table and prepared to face the Chief.

Gingerly, Penfold waddled past DM's bedroom and headed for the living room, but stopped abruptly when he noticed that the door to his room was open slightly and the lamp inside was on; Ernest was admittedly a little confused as he often was, but he was quite certain that DM had been in the lounge when he'd called for him and he wasn't exactly someone who left doors open – DM did like his privacy. Yet as he peered through the small gap curiously, he could just about focus on a white figure lying in bed – was Danger Mouse actually having a lie-in?

The very idea made Penfold chuckle – what a ridiculous notion.

Still, there **was** someone in his bed and the poor hamster would have to check – just in case it was DM…

He pushed the door open, slipped in and walked over to the bed in the centre of the room; but as he neared the sleeper who coincidently was a mouse, his eyes widened and he gasped in horror as he focused on their body. There was something strange going on, and something very wrong had happened to his boss.

Now, admittedly Penfold had had very little experience with the female race but he was well aware of some certain physical differences between the two genders; and it just so happened that these physical differences were quite literally staring Penfold in the face…

… or he was staring at them, he couldn't really help himself.

Was this some kind of evil plan of Baron Greenback's? Penfold knew there was only one way to make sure.

"DANGER MOUSE, WAKE UP!" he cried, "You've… turned into a… a **GIRL**!! WAKE UP!! Danger Mouse!"

In the hallway there was a sound of pounding feet and suddenly the door behind him burst open to reveal a worried Danger Mouse standing alert scanning the room for danger, Penfold could just about manage to gawp at him, wide-eyed. DM frowned for a minute as he surveyed the situation and then turned to look down upon his little assistant.

"Penfold, what is it? What's happened!?"

Penfold continued to gawp.

"Penfold!?"

Slowly the hamster swallowed and raised a pointed finger at the sleeping mouse in the bed, "I thought you'd been turned into a _girl…_"

There was silence for a minute, the hero rose an eyebrow, trying to make sense of what Penfold had just said and then suddenly, he burst into hysterics, laughing heartily. "Oh Penfold, you crack me up sometimes! Turned into a girl - the very idea!"

"Well then," pouted Penfold, arms folded and his face a storm of embarrassment and disapproval, "Who on earth is that in your bed? And why hasn't she woken up? I made enough of a racket…"

At once the look of joy erased itself from DM's face and his expression hardened as he looked upon the sleeping rodent, "She hasn't woken up Penfold because she's unconscious not sleeping – after all, no ones as heavy a sleeper as you… Her name's Angel Mouse, I rescued her from one of Raspus's lairs earlier this morning, you know, that mission you got out of?" Penfold blushed a little here. "Basically she'd been working there undercover but her disguise was unearthed and they attacked."

"You mean she was _ratted out_ Chief?"

"This is no time for jokes, Penfold!"

"Sorry Chief," Penfold muttered, catching the angry tone to DM's voice, he looked away in shame but then turned to the sleeping Angel and wandered to the bed to take a closer look at her. His eyes widened in both shock and wonder at the sight before him, she was a pretty creature and considerably younger than DM; her cheek bones were prominent and her features smooth and delicate, messy brown hair flowed over her eyes, shoulders and ears and the end of her nose was a pale pink and almost heart shaped. She was rather thin but her arms were well built and she was apparently physically fit; still, for all of her flattering features, Penfold's eyes were drawn to the cuts and bruises that plagued her skin, bandages covered her whole chest and most of her arms and just under her ears Penfold could see a line of stitches.

"We've cleaned her up as best as we could," reported Danger Mouse from behind, walking round to her other side, "thankfully Sqwarkencluck knew what he was doing – she's got a few broken bones and there was a bullet lodged pretty deeply in her side but it's been removed now. She'll live but at the moment she's too frail to be moved again, so it looks like she'll be here for sometime."

As DM spoke, Penfold moved the hair from over Angel's face and stared intently, eyebrows furrowed. "What is it Penfold?" questioned the chief, seeing his assistants puzzled expression.

"I don't know Chief, I was just thinking about her eyes…"

"Her eyes??"

"Yes, I mean, I don't know why… but I just get the feeling that they must be absolutely beautiful…"

Danger Mouse didn't say anything to this, instead he too looked down at the peaceful expression on the young Angel's face, reliving that moment in the sewer as they were about to die and that flash of startling blue…

***

Time passed as it always did in the Pillar Box, Danger Mouse saved the world, rescued his bumbling sidekick and defeated his megalomaniacal foes every day just like before; then they'd return home and Penfold would clean and cook whilst DM cared to Angel's wounds. They healed well, even the scars faded and her fur finally began to grow over those that were more obvious and yet, despite all this progress, Angel did not wake up, she merely lay there, never moving…

Four weeks went by. Until...

It was a Friday night, the end of a long and tiring week and it was very late; Penfold was already in bed, shattered after a run in with Professor Crumhorn who'd attempted to launch him into space attached to a rocket – DM had obviously saved the day but his little sidekick was now suffering from exhaustion, presenting such symptoms as snoring very loudly – how the White Wonder longed for his tufts of cotton wool.

Danger Mouse couldn't help but wonder what life would be like if Ernest **had** been jettisoned into outer space, a lot quieter surely; sound couldn't travel in space… _oh the temptations…_

The agent was sat beside Angel's bed, he didn't know why, he just felt drawn to her; beside her things often seemed at peace, he felt it, the calming aura about her – just like the one she'd created down in the sewers when he was lost, and when Crusher had nearly killed them both. She too looked at peace, her breathing slow and almost silent; all DM wanted to do was just look at her, trying to take her all in but for some reason it seemed impossible.

The first time he'd helped to bathe her, Danger Mouse had found an odd birthmark on her stomach just above the bullet wound, her fur there was grey instead of pure white and formed the shape of a crescent moon - it had fascinated him; so, in fact, had the silver necklace around her neck shaped like a pair of feathered wings – Sqwarkencluck had asked him not to remove it and he had obliged, but these two things had somehow created the same sense of awe that her eyes had done. It was as though they were all linked, telling the same story of who she was and what she'd done in her life and where she'd come from.

He was pondering them now, creating another story in his head of her childhood, her parents, her role in the service – reliving the day he'd first come into contact with her. But as he nibbled his lip, picturing those moments in Raspus' hideaway before he had gotten there, Angel stirred. For a split second Danger Mouse was about to tell her to be quiet as he focused harder, but then he fell sideways off his chair in shock, watching wide eyed; Angel's hand tenderly moved to her forehead as she let her throat rumble to express her discomfort and her expression became pained, she rubbed her temples gingerly for a moment and then slowly opened her eyes, wincing at the light above her.

DM was on tiptoes, leaning practically right over her; finally, Angel opened her eyes wide enough to focus properly and then looked directly at the White Wonder… finally he could see them… the wondrous set of eyes that had plagued most of his thoughts for the past month.

They were a deep blue, but contained glittering streaks of silver and a turquoise that mixed together and gleamed in the light, Danger Mouse's mouth dropped open; Angel's expression was very much the same, and neither rodent said anything for a few seconds as they each stared gormlessly at the other. Angel's expression was a mixture of amazement and horror; she was staring at a handsome mouse with a golden eye and black eye patch and whose face was young and perfectly formed, she was staring at the World's Greatest Secret Agent…

"You're awake!" the hero exclaimed gleefully.

"And you're _you!_" Angel cried in reply, she lifted a slim finger to his face and brushed his cheek; "I thought I was dreaming when you were in that tunnel with me…"

Danger Mouse beamed proudly, he couldn't help pushing his chest outwards boastfully: "Well, you know," he said in an offhand manner – (or as offhand as he could muster, as really he was lapping up all the attention he possibly could) – "I was doing my duty; not one to let a fellow agent, and dare I say a beautiful fellow agent, down."

This compliment had the desired effect as Angel's snow white cheeks turned a pale rosy shade in a matter of seconds, her eyes dropped to hide her expression and she managed to suppress her smile; as her gaze returned to the hero her smile widened. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Well," the young agent replied, "I believe I have you to thank for saving my life? I'm forever in your debt, Danger Mouse. Now, for a formal introduction…" she held out her left hand carefully, clearly still a little stiff and the White Wonder took it lightly. "Agent Angel Mouse, sir, willing to serve."

"It's a pleasure, Angel Mouse."

***

Another two months passed before Angel was ready to get out of bed and walk around, her bones had mended incredibly quickly and her wounds and scars were practically invisible and so she'd taken to helping around the Pillar Box in order to begin showing her gratitude for DM saving her life. Penfold took to her immediately and followed her around night and day, talking endlessly about his courageous nature and his dedication to his job; Danger Mouse hadn't been able to resist of course explaining to Angel the reason for his codename being 'Jigsaw' much to Ernest's horror, but the young female had only turned back to him to ask how he'd fought off big foot with only an odd sock and the little hamster had continued boasting about his heroic deeds.

Sqwarkencluck had visited the day after she had woken and given her some clothes and soon she fell perfectly into the daily routine, always up before DM in the morning and always waiting for them to arrive home after their missions with hot mugs of cocoa to welcome them back. This became the norm and Angel was practically one of the team, she was a bouncy and good humoured character, but patient and attentive too; DM was amazed at how well she could put up with Penfold's consistent complaints and Penfold was amazed at how she could listen to Danger Mouse's explanations of the schematics to every piece of technology the agent had in his possession without falling asleep. It seemed that the young agent created a perfect balance of happiness and silence; she could advise and listen, plan and think off her feet… but the one thing that made her presence so noticeable was how things had changed since her arrival…

Unfortunately for Angel, not everyone rejoiced in this matter, and without knowing so, for his own selfish reasons, Danger Mouse was to seal her fate himself – sometimes there is more to people than one first realises…


	8. Conspiring Against You

**Chapter Eight**

Conspiring Against You

"_You failed me, Raspus…"_

The great rat stood strong, refusing to show fear but wishing to reveal his regret.

"I know, my mistress… please, forgive me – I am truly sorry…"

Raspus peered through the darkness towards the creature that remained hidden, shielded by the depth of the blackness; a curt laugh rang through the circular room where everything had gone so wrong all those weeks ago, Angel's blood still stained the floor, mocking his failure even more so. Seductively, a white tail with a black tip slipped into the ring of light that he stood within and rubbed against the vibrant red mark, picking up flecks of dried blood; the tail moved to Raspus' cheek, spreading them across his lips where he licked them away hungrily…

"_I am sorry I was not here to see it, in all honesty._" The voice was almost soothing now, tauntingly alluring. _"The event seems to have almost humbled you – what a frightening prospect…"_

The rat snarled; "I had her! She was bruised and battered and still… _pure._"

There was another laugh from within the shadows, "_still lusting after her innocent form are we? Tut, tut… I want you to kill the rodent not make love to her… Besides, how can you desire the creature that has put Crusher out of action?"_

"Crusher's skin is tougher than you think, he will live." Raspus' tone remained the same, though angry at his failure, he was not yet out of business.; his eyes glinted menacingly as he began a devise a new plan.

"_Smile all you like Raspus, we're in trouble now that she is in the hands of Danger Mouse – if that accursed Squarkencluck gets his way then soon she'll be part of his team and then how will we get to her!?"_

"I'll find a way."

The tail was pulled away from his face but he caught it in his claws and held on, edging nearer to its owner, his smile now one of devious rather malicious intent; _"will you really?" _The voice had lost its sharp edge and was now more like a purr, the words melting away.

"Oh yes. After all, London is **my** city and Danger Mouse is **my** enemy – if there's one thing I know, it's how his mind works. Just you wait; we won't be the only ones who dislike the prospect of her working with him… _Trust me_…"

"_A female who trusts you, Raspus, is as good as dead…"_

The rat's smile widened even further, the black-tipped tail twisting around his finger, he stood on the brink of the shadows and a slender white arm slunk around his neck; "that's just how I like it", he growled softly.

"_Luckily for me, I'll never trust you."_

"_And lucky me that you're no ordinary female."_

There was a coaxing laugh as a second arm wrapped around the rat's muscular form and pulled him into darkness, "_oh yes, I'm the devil in disguise..." _

Miles across the city, Raspus' prediction was going to come horribly true...

***

Danger Mouse was sitting in the office belonging to his boss, Colonel K, waiting for the man to actually arrive; it was ten in the morning and DM was growing restless, he'd only had time to run ten miles this morning and there was a world that needed saving! Instead, the agent amused himself by swivelling on his office chair, and flicking a spring photograph holder that was hanging from the Colonel's memo board; the picture in the little bulldog clip was that of K and his secretary, Miss Boathook – of course, their relationship was strictly 'professional' - sitting on a beach somewhere in Hawaii, the Colonel wearing a hideous lime green shirt and brown shorts combination and Miss Boathook looking no better in a Magenta bikini. DM shuddered to think of what the two had passed the time doing, but stopped abruptly when he heard K closing the door behind him as he entered the room.

"Ah, Danger Mouse! Taking a peek at my holiday photos, are we?" He chuckled reminiscently, "That Miss Boathook, fine woman isn't she? We went skinny dipping the day after that photo was taken, my how I wish I'd had a camera for **that** occasion!!! Har, har!" The Colonel chuckled again as he sat down at his desk, placing his cup of tea on the coaster beside his pile of paper work; DM's stomach turned at the very prospect of Colonel K wearing nothing but his birthday suit, but he managed to prevent his cheeks from turning a sickly green colour...

As the agent sat down, the office door opened again and Professor Squarkencluck entered looking excited, the agent raised his remaining eyebrow, but decided that to ask questions about what he was doing here was pointless seeing as the Colonel had brought him here to tell him why he was here... if that made any sense at all. It must have been important anyway, because K very rarely talked to people in his office, _from_ his office, yes; but _in_ his office, no...

It had to be really important.

"So, Danger Mouse, my main mouse, what brings you here today? Squarkencluck, you're here too? Excellent, what's the occasion chaps?"

The World's Greatest Secret Agent and the Professor exchanged despairing glances and then let out exasperated sighs.

"I don't know, Colonel." DM began, but his boss cut him off.

"Don't know? Why Danger Mouse, you better have the Professor here see to your memory, can't have you forgetting important things like this can we?" There was another sigh from the one-eyed rodent. "I mean, just think, you've forgotten that you were invited here to talk about Angel Mouse of all things!"

Danger Mouse shot upright in his chair, Squarkencluck was interested too but he seemed to be less surprised about the conversation topic.

"Angel Mouse, sir? What about her?"

The Colonel chewed his lips for a moment and raised his bushy white eyebrows in astonishment, "Why DM, have you not figured it out?"

"Figured what out!?"

"The reason for her being there? The reason that you were called to her aid, why we chose you over any other agent despite many being capable of getting her out in one piece?"

Danger Mouse doubted K's last question, after all, he himself had barely managed it, it would have been interesting seeing someone else try to escape. Maybe they would have done, but Angel would not have come out in one piece...

At his side, Squarkencluck was listening intently, reading DM's face carefully, it was making the agent uncomfortable, both men staring at him, waiting for a reply; the rodent pondered for a minute, trying to come up with an answer to K's questions. A shocking revelation hit him in the face, surely?... no, that couldn't be it. Could it?

"Was Angel a double agent?"

"Of course she was, man! You knew that!"

Danger Mouse's heart sank into his boots. _Wait a minute... he knew that? No he didn't, he'd just worked that out... _ "Hang on a minute, Colonel; I mean, was Angel a double agent for Raspus? Not for us. As in, she lured me there in an attempt to kill me?"

Squarkencluck let out a cry of outrage, "Danger Mouse!" his heavily German accent mixed with his clear indignation made understanding him all the more difficult. "How could you such a thing of Angel denken!?" (It took DM a few seconds to get that question.) "As if Angel a Raspus spy would be! The very idea!!"

The agent turned to face his boss again, fearful of the Professor whose cheeks were now reddened with anger; DM was not often confused, and when he became so it really shortened his patience and his temper. Trying not to sound brash, the rodent took a deep breath; "Colonel, please could you tell me what is going on? What has Angel got to do with my being brought to your office? Why did you send me to collect her? Can I _please_ have some answers!"

The Colonel laughed heartily, he may not have been the great man he once was but he still had something in that old head of his; he had known Danger Mouse since he was four years old and the Head of the Secret Service had gotten to know the rodent prodigy remarkably well in all that time, he could see now that DM was trying to keep a lid on his frustration, that single brow frowning sternly in his direction. K's reaction had knocked Danger Mouse off guard, but that reaction was nothing compared to the one he would have after the Colonel had answered him...

"Angel's going to be your partner, Danger Mouse!"

If it were possible, the rodent's mouth would have been on the floor, in a moment of madness he almost said "I don't want to get married" but he'd managed to swallow the exclamation as it dawned on him the actual meaning of what K had just told him. Both the Colonel and the Professor were beaming at him, as though this was the best piece of news they had ever delivered, Danger Mouse had to disagree. He stood up suddenly, arms tense at his sides.

"No."

Silence.

"I beg your pardon?" Squarkencluck's smile disappeared and the confused expression returned to the Colonel's face – it couldn't stay away for long.

"No," DM repeated. "No, I don't want Angel to be my partner."

"But... why...?"

Danger Mouse sighed, he shouldn't have expected to get away with an outright refusal, but the reasoning behind his reply was too shameful to admit, nothing would make him reveal his darkest fear, his deepest secret; he would have to lie... even at the expense of someone who he would almost have considered a friend...

"I'm the World's Greatest Secret Agent," he began, there wasn't a hint of boastfulness in his tone now, he was simply stating facts, "I can't be slowed down by a rookie, it would cost the world too much. Maybe in other circumstances it would be different," _Not likely_, he told himself. "But I met Angel saving her life, she couldn't have survived that situation alone and I don't want a partner who gets into that sort of trouble; it's bad enough with Penfold. She's a nice girl and everything, but I don't need the extra responsibility..."

"Aber..." the Professor stumbled over his own words in shock and astonishment, "Aber, Colonel, Danger Mouse – Angel Mouse! She is ready, I know that she ready for this is! She needs this chance!"

DM didn't understand why the Professor was so adamant to have Angel on his team, how did he even know the girl? "I'm sorry Professor, but my answer is final. I don't need a partner, I don't want a partner; and even if I did, I would choose someone with a little more calibre..."

This final comment sent Squarkencluck off the edge, his face turned a shocking violet before he spun round on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him and making the plaster crack. The agent felt a fraction of guilt jolt his stomach, but he held up the facade before his boss who was eyeing him suspiciously; it would appear that he hadn't manage to fool the Colonel...

There was silence for a while, the Colonel eyed the mouse curiously, DM stayed standing, patient, as though waiting to hear his punishment. Finally, K spoke.

"It takes a lot for you to offend someone with such vivacity," he noted, sounding weary and strangely wise... "you must really want your secrets to stay well hidden."

DM started, how well did this man actually know him?

A sigh escaped the Colonel's lips as he thumbed a ball of blutac on his desk, but as he looked up to his favourite agent, Danger Mouse saw him smile, at least his boss wasn't angry. "Angel is a good agent, she's had a tough life but she's strong... but if you really don't want her in your team then I cannot ignore your wishes. I will admit that her last mission did not go as planned..." _Understatement of the year_, mused DM. "... I'll set her on some other tasks for a while, until I'm sure that she'll be okay in the field once more."

"I think that would be wise, Colonel" the agent had to force himself to continue with his lie, he couldn't show his weaknesses just because K understood him. "And whatever you may think, I genuinely believe that she isn't ready yet, she isn't good enough to be allowed the freedoms of a lone agent..." Danger Mouse wasn't sure how much of this was true, in all honesty he had felt that Angel being in the situation he had saved her from had been a bad idea, she was surely younger than him, and she didn't seem to have all that much experience.

The Colonel appeared to have been won after by this last speech however, DM noted happily, his boss nodded; "very well, I will make sure that she is kept out of any danger for a considerable amount of time. That will be hard, knowing her history..."

DM began to agree, and then realised that he didn't know Angel's history, he didn't know anything about her, nothing; not her age, her family, her background. Had he ever asked her? Colonel K eyed the rodent for some time and smiled again, "yes, she is very secretive isn't she? Just like you, I suppose. You have a lot in common, more than you know; never mind, you can leave now Danger Mouse, thank you for stopping by."

And with that, DM was sent on his way, quite moved at how wise the Colonel had become in those few minutes alone with him; the rodent felt his guilt growing inside, not only had he lied about Angel, he'd also underestimated his boss... and had done for quite some time.

***

The Pillar Box was quiet when he returned home, Penfold was sitting in the living room, his eyes red raw – had he been crying? When he greeted his little friend he received no reply, Ernest was lost in his own bitter thoughts and Danger Mouse decided that it was best not to disturb him; something told him that he already knew the reason for his friend's unhappiness.

The guilt weighed upon DM, once the weight of the world had rested on his shoulders, but it was nothing to how he felt at that moment...

After pacing down the hall he pushed open his bedroom door, almost hoping to see the sapphire eyes light up as they registered his entrance, but it was empty. There were new sheets on the bed and a single square piece of paper lay on his pillow. He picked it up, unfolded it with trembling fingers and read the words written upon it; the agent sunk down onto his duvet, the pang of guilt and betrayal leaving him feeling miserable and alone. He curled up into a ball, listening to the hushed sobs of his assistant down the hallway, the friend who didn't know of his involvement, of his treachery.

The hours passed and eventually, Danger Mouse fell into a restless sleep, the note still clutched in his fingers.

It simply read:

_Thank you._


	9. Conflicts and Epiphanies

Conflicts and Epiphanies

The next week passed painfully slowly and the White Wonder suffered; not because he felt guilty, no, not because of the guilt... after his one night of grief he had told himself to get a grip on his feelings and to face the fact that it had been the best thing to do. For who, he wasn't quite sure but that didn't matter. At least, he told himself it didn't matter.

Danger Mouse had never been one to reveal too much emotion, he was always cool, calm, collected; showing fear, anger, sorrow, _love_ – such things only compromised his position, they gave his enemies an advantage that the agent could not afford to offer. At the end of the day, he told himself continually, if one career had to suffer out of his or Angel's, he knew which one would have the more dire consequences; Angel could recover from a blow to her pride, Danger Mouse knew that he could not...

_At least, he didn't think he could._

No, the week passed by painfully slowly because of the people he had offended in the process of offending his ex-potential partner; Ernest Penfold had apparently not been told the entirety of what had taken place in K's office those seven days ago but he had worked out the gist of it and that had made him somewhat sullen. The hamster had taken a liking to Angel that DM had not expected, it wasn't an attraction to her physically – Danger Mouse didn't think – instead a relationship had developed between the two that had been quite like brother and sister; Penfold had a huge family, rodents often did, and being so cowardly in nature he'd often been the forgotten child, the quiet one who didn't get involved. The White Wonder and Ernest had a good relationship, but there was always that sense of professionalism that they had to maintain; DM was Penfold's superior, and that made it hard for the two to ever connect in the way that Ernest and Angel had done.

The secret agent had to admit that the place felt horribly empty, Angel had given the place some kind of life, some kind of comforting feeling; she had a sort of gift, her presence always allowed the rodent to clear his mind and keep calm, she was patient and attentive and that had rubbed off on both the mouse and his assistant. Yes things were different now, but they had gone back to the way they had before, just the way Danger Mouse liked it.

It was just, since Angel, things could never go entirely back to the way they were; her sapphire blue eyes bore into the agent's memory. _No, things would never be the same._

The other person who appeared to be mortally offended by DM's rejection had been Professor Sqwarkencluck; since his departure from K's meeting, the mole had refused to contact the agent completely and didn't appear to be breaking his resentful silence any time soon. But then that Saturday morning, a week after Angel had departed, Sqwarkencluck was to send Danger Mouse something he was never to forget...

When the doorbell rang from the pavement level, Danger Mouse jumped up immediately, ready for action; he used the stairs for the exercise and casually opened the door into his garage, hoping for it to be something to break up the monotony of his day. He knew it had to be a Secret Service Employee, because only those registered with the Pillar Box security system would have been allowed through the garage door cleverly disguised as part of the kerb on the corner of Baker Street, but he had not expected who it was to be.

As the door swung open and the agent's eye fell upon those of his guest, it literally felt as though his heart had stopped beating altogether.

_Angel Mouse._

The silence that ensued seemed to last for hours as Danger Mouse fought desperately to stop his mouth from dropping open to the ground; Angel shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably, her arms folded defensively and her expression hard and unimpressed. She cleared her throat and widened her eyes expectantly and DM finally managed to pull his wits together… sort of.

"A-Angel M-Mouse... what brings y-you here?"

"Professor Squawkencluck," she replied coolly; if it had been possible, Danger Mouse's cheeks would have whitened; "I'm here as his delivery girl."

"Delivering what?" The agent asked hesitantly.

_A fist in my jaw_, he mused.

"This..." The female mouse moved to the side and gestured to the brand-spanking new car sitting beside the White Wonder's beloved Mark III. "...the Mark III _Turbo_."

The agent's mouth fell to the floor all over again, it was _beautiful!_ Yellow in colour, just like his Mark III, the _Turbo _generation had a more futuristic look to it, a 21st century edge if you will; no longer designed with jutting-out edges, the Mark III _Turbo_ was smooth and streamlined, her interior more up-to-date with leather seats and a dashboard riddled with the latest gadgets. It was DM's dream come true, Angel beside him had folded her arms one more and looked at him with a raised eyebrow; she was not completely impressed with the White Wonder's reaction, a snide remark was lingering on the tip of her tongue but she held onto it. The girl had promised to have some decorum...

"But why...?" Danger Mouse's voice was a mixture of awe, suspicion and confusion.

"Your Mark III has seen better days," was the reply.

That much was true, when DM had saved Angel, he'd been forced to leave it behind; quite unfortunately, Raspus' gang had discovered where she'd been parked and decided to vandalise the poor girl. She'd been repaired of course, but there was only so much that the mechanics could do, the Mark III had been getting old, she was giving in entirely; Squawkencluck may have been disgruntled with the White Wonder, but he still did his duty... and Angel had done hers in delivering the new vehicle.

Danger Mouse felt his cheeks redden with embarrassment; Angel said nothing as she leant over into the front seat of the Mark III _Turbo_, removed the keys from the ignition and picked up a clipboard from the passenger seat with a form attached to it; she passed it to DM, keeping her eyes on anything but his face.

"Just sign the form and the car is yours."

After a moment of reading the agreement form, DM signed on the dotted line without hesitation, and returned the clipboard to the rather sullen messenger; there was another moment of silence as the two looked at one another, the atmosphere tense and unnerving. Danger Mouse knew that Angel was holding back the things she wanted to say, it appeared as though she was fighting the urge to both turn and walk away and slap him really hard; the secret agent couldn't help but wonder how much she knew about the events from the last Saturday but it appeared as though she was close to Squawkencluck so DM had to assume that she knew _everything_. Realising this, his heart sank even lower, what he must look like to her.

Whilst he was lost in thought, Angel had pulled out a set of replica keys for the Mark III and had begun to head over to the car that was no longer needed; the secret agent watched her make her way to it and felt the guilt wash over him, he didn't want her to go, he didn't want their short-lived friendship to end this way...

"So, what are you doing now?"

Danger Mouse had never regretted saying anything the way he regretted saying that.

Angel had gone rigid, her fist clenched slowly as she turned back to face DM, "What does it _look_ like I'm doing?" She asked, through gritted teeth.

"W-well... I-I..."

"Did Colonel K not _tell_ you that I was currently the delivery girl for the Secret Service?"

The mouse shook his head a little too vigorously.

"I'm rather surprised at that," Angel's tone was bitter and edgy, even as she fought to keep a lid on her emotions, "seeing as _you_ were the one who suggested I be given a few 'menial tasks' for a while because _apparently _I'm not quite secret agent material _just yet_!"

DM said nothing; he merely stared at her, shamefacedly.

"How could you, Danger Mouse? How could you... _lie_ like that?"

Now the agent was stunned, _she_ knew that he had lied? She honestly thought that he hadn't doubted her abilities? She thought that she was good enough to be his partner?

"Don't look at me like that, DM. Of course you lied, I spent two months here getting to know you, what you said didn't match your character... the fact that you concealed something about yourself – now **that** complies with the rodent you are. You picked up on my weaknesses to mask your own... so what is it? Don't you like females? Think that we should still be living in a patriarchal society?"

"N-no..."

"Well then what is it! Did I not make your tea the way you like it?"

"No, it was..."

"Tired of not being able to keep the toilet seat up!"

"I- I always put the seat down! A-Angel it's..."

"WHAT. IS. IT?"

The girl was fuming, she was standing with fists clenched and eyes blazing, leaning over a stuttering, bashful Danger Mouse who was desperately trying to vocalise his thoughts.

"TELL ME!"

The secret agent could hold back no longer…

"CHANGE! I'M AFRAID OF CHANGE!"

Angel stopped dead in her tracks, she had been preparing to throw more abuse at the agent who had begun to back into a corner as she continued her tirade; at his outburst however, she had been thrown off guard, expecting an answer that was more egotistical, more selfish... more pathetic. Instead, DM had been reduced to a humiliated mortal, his one weakness revealed to the girl who had paid the price for his unwillingness to accept its existence. Danger Mouse had rejected her, out of _fear_...

Some things just didn't add up.

"Change?"

"Yes... change."

"Care to elaborate?"

For a second, Danger Mouse was about to say 'no' but he quickly realised that the one person who deserved to hear his confession, was Angel. "It's okay for you," he began, attempting to take a neutral, balanced and non-accusatory tone, "you're still climbing to reach your goals; change is good for you, it means the start of a new adventure and the openings to new opportunities. But with me, change means my downfall; I'm at the top of my game, nothing gets any better than this, there's nowhere else to go. I like where I am, I like the life I lead and I like that I've found my niche, a little something to call my own; the slightest change and I could lose that. And I don't want that to happen. I lied because... because you represented a threat to me; not because I felt threatened by you _personally_ – but you represent the next generation of spies, you represent the change that is going to happen and I can't deal with that. A new partner means that some things are changing and change, Angel, means my end. I'm just not ready for that. That is my weakness; that is why I am afraid of it."

The silence elapsed again, stronger this time, but not built upon anger or awkwardness – it was built upon neither rodent knowing what to say. One was ashamed because he had finally admitted his greatest fear; the other was ashamed because she had not expected the reply she had received.

"That is not a weakness." Angel's voice was firm but no longer angry, she was moved and vexed by how complex Danger Mouse had just made everything; she'd wanted to be angry with him, but now she found that virtually impossible.

"It is to me."

"You accepted the Mark III _Turbo_ without question, that's an element of change. Why should I have been any different?"

"A new gadget shows that someone still has faith in me, a new partner doesn't."

His answer was blunt and a little hurtful, but it was the truth; when it came down to it, you could trust an inanimate object, people were a little different, and suddenly receiving a new partner would seem a little suspicious to anyone. It was almost like saying 'we don't think you're doing as well as you should, here's someone to help you increase your efficiency'. But Angel knew that replacing Danger Mouse was something she could never do, Colonel K's acceptance of DM's refusal was proof enough to show that he still had faith in the World's Greatest Secret Agent; anyone should have known that, the White Wonder of all people should have worked that out – but the fear of change around him had taken away his clarity of mind.

The female rodent sighed and pushed her long brown hair out of her face that bore an exasperated expression, she didn't know how to tackle the situation; Danger Mouse had been her idol for years and yet here he was, admitting his darkest secret to her, revealing a weakness no one would ever believe he had. Regardless of how he had treated her, Angel felt it her duty to pull him back to his senses; it was clear that he was never going to accept her as his partner, but she couldn't leave him to wallow in his despair. She was to do something she had never imagined she ever would, she was to tell DM to toughen up…

"Danger Mouse…" her voice was steady now, the anger had disappeared completely, all that was left was understanding and patience, "you have to understand that change is a necessity."

"But I can hold it off…"

"The more you fight it, the more it becomes a threat to you. Change is only damaging if you resist it DM," she placed her hand on his shoulder, Danger Mouse lifted his gaze from the floor back to her face, shocked by the wisdom of the words from a girl seemingly too young "this world needs you too much to just abandon you. But…" she struggled for a moment, "…but change is inevitable..."

Angel turned away and walked back over to the Mark III, she opened the door and clambered in, making herself comfortable; suddenly, the secret agent was hit with a powerful feeling of guilt and loss. His beloved Mark III had become a victim of change, but he had thought nothing of it, he had thought of it as inevitable, just as Angel had said… so why had taking her on as his partner been such a repulsive idea to him? She was about to leave, a symbol of change, the new taking away the old… but both representing the change that DM had both accepted and rejected.

The blue eyed mouse turned to look up at him as she turned the key in the ignition, the engine not exactly roaring to life but seemingly trying to put on a good show as a final farewell to her owner; but Angel did not leave immediately, instead she picked up a brown file from the seat beside her and held it out to DM, he took it and looked at her curiously.

"This is for you too, by the way."

"What is it?"

"It's my background file; K mentioned something about you not knowing much about me, I'm not a great talker when it comes to where I come from. I hoped it would make you feel guilty, but now I just want you to know who I am… because maybe then we'll both understand each other a little better: our weaknesses **and** our strengths. And perhaps then… one day, some other day in the distant future, we'll make a good team."

Danger Mouse smiled a little weakly as Angel's expression turned sympathetic. Suddenly, the female placed her hand on DM's, resting on the side of the car door: "you're scared about being left behind, DM; don't accept the change around you… and you will be…"

With that she pulled away, Danger Mouse watching her go; his beloved car disappearing up the road, carrying the one person he'd ever been truly honest with. And for the first time in a long while, the secret agent felt what it was like to be wrong.


End file.
